The fully-electric Formula E car hit the streets of Santiago for the first time. The Chilean President Michelle Bachelet welcomed the electric street racing series. The demonstration was part of the events ahead of the inaugural Antofagasta Minerals Santiago E-Prix on February 3, which will be round four of the 2017/18 season.
The Formula E car toured around the capital, catching the eye of commuters on their journey to work. It made a pit-stop at La Moneda Palace and O’Higgins Park, while home-hero Eliseo Salazar was behind the wheel. The former Formula 1 and IndyCar driver gave Santiago their first taste of the all-electric single-seater.
The street demonstration was not the only event. The organisers unveiled in front of an audience of local authorities, key dignitaries and media the exact location and track layout. The Formula E drivers will line-up on the grid along Avenue Santa Maria – navigating their way around Parque Forestal, against the backdrop of Cerro San Cristobal and Santa Lucia Hill.
The 2.47km circuit is a subject to FIA track homologation. It consists of 12 turns, crossing the River Mapocho and through Plaza Italia.
Alberto Longo, Co-founder & Deputy CEO of Formula E, said:
“The racing and competition this year is going to be closer than ever and we can’t wait to see the drivers battle it out around this new and challenging circuit in February. South America is steeped in motorsport history and tradition. And Formula E will make its own history in Chile for many years to come, starting this coming season.”
Pablo Squella, Minister of Sport, added:
“We invite everyone to join this party to start learning about Formula E and electric cars because in February we want a motivated Santiago, a city that welcomes everyone with great enthusiasm. We will be a great host country. And we will make the fourth round of Formula E, into a new sporting tradition for our country.”
We are looking forward to the first @FIAFormulaE in Santiago. Another great venue! #etron #FormulaE pic.twitter.com/jSuqA0ky39
— Audi Formula E (@audiformulae) October 12, 2017
Santiago de Chile is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas
It is entirely in the country’s central valley and is at an elevation of 520 m above sea level.
The city has a downtown core of 19th-century neoclassical architecture and, winding side-streets, dotted by art deco, neo-gothic, and other styles, while several stand-alone hills and the fast-flowing Mapocho River shape the Santiago cityscape. People can see the Andes Mountains can from most points in the city. These mountains contribute to a considerable smog problem, particularly during winter. The city outskirts are surrounded by vineyards and Santiago is within a few hours of both the mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
The 2017/2018 Formula E calendar consists of 14 rounds, which will take place in 11 cities
There will be two races during the weekends in Hong Kong, New York and Montreal, while all other events will have one each. This will be the fourth Formula E season and is expected to be very closely contested.
Teams and drivers already passed the tests with the new cars in Valencia. They tried the new cars for four days, while fine-tuning set-ups.
Sitting top of the timesheets for two days out of three was NIO Formula E Team driver Oliver Turvey. Making his debut in Season One, Turvey has been a permanent member of NIO Formula E Team ever since. After setting the pace with the fastest lap time of 1m21.822, can he keep it up throughout Season Four?
